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How to free up hard drive space in Windows 10

If you are running out of hard drive space, you might want to try these tips before deciding to upgrade to a bigger hard drive.



Old Windows Update files and Temporary Files Cleanup

  1. Open This PC.
  2. Right-click the OS (C:) hard drive partition and from the context menu click on Properties.
  3. From the General tab, click on Disk Cleanup button.
  4. Click the Clean up System Files button to include old Windows Update installation files that are no longer needed, as they are the ones usually taking up a lot of space.
  5. Make sure to select all the items from the Files to delete list. Click OK and then Delete Files from the prompt. This might take a while depending on the size of the files to be deleted.

Clean Up Old System Restore Points

  1. Once it's done, click the Disk Cleanup button from the General tab on the OS (C:) Properties window. 
  2. Click on Clean up System Files button.
  3. Navigate to the More Options tab.
  4. Under the section System Restore and Shadow Copies, click the Clean up button. Click the Delete button from the prompt and click OK. This will delete all your recent Restore Point except the most recent ones. Use this option when you know your computer is in a good state and you don't need to roll back to a previous date.

Uninstall unnecessary apps and software

  1. On the Windows Search bar, type Add or Remove and press Enter to open the Add or Remove Programs Settings window (Apps & Features). This list includes both your Desktop software and your Windows Store apps.
  2. You may sort by size if you wish, and scroll to see if there's any app or software you don't want anymore and click the Uninstall button. Follow the Wizard window instructions to remove the app or software. Steps may vary per app, and may or may not need to restart your computer.

Enable Files On Demand on OneDrive

  1. Right-click on your OneDrive icon from the right side of your Taskbar and click on Settings from the context menu.
  2. From the Settings tab, under the Files On-Demand section, enable the Save space and download files as you use them option. Click OK.
You may also go through your personal files and folders and check if there are files that are obsolete or no longer needed and delete them.

Do the above steps (except the OneDrive part, that one is once off) at least once a month for optimal health of your computer.

Disclaimer: The content provided in this article is for informational purposes only. You are solely responsible for verifying the information as being appropriate for your personal use.
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